If you’re a homeowner in Australia you pay a water bill twice yearly – it’s another *awesome* cost of owning your home! The good news is there are ways you can save money on your next water bill, at the same time increasing the efficiency of your home’s plumbing system and your family’s water consumption. Horray!

Keep in mind, the best way to save money on your water bill is by being conscious of your family’s water wastage. Making small changes every day adds up at the end of the year.

You’ll also save money on your water bill by regularly maintaining your plumbing system, so you know that no issues are lying undetected, wasting water without your knowledge. The best way to rest assured is through preventative plumbing.

HERE ARE SEVEN WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR WATER BILL THIS YEAR

1. Set the timer on your shower

   It can be so hard to get out of a nice, warm shower on a Winter’s night AND so refreshing to stay under a cool shower in Summer! However, by setting the timer on your showers to 4 minutes only (hard, we know!) you can save thousands of liters of water and dollars too.

2. Stack your dishes

   Did you know: by hand washing dishes you use almost doubles the amount of water a dishwasher uses? Those pesky machines have trumped us again with their smarts. This is one chore you can gladly hand over to them.

3. Buy water-efficient products

   Buying water-efficient products around your home (and they have them for almost any water-related task) can save money on your bills because you’re using less water, heat, and energy. Look for the water rating label or advice on all products regulated under the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme. The label is designed to help you make informed choices. You can read more information here.https://www.waterrating.gov.au/

4. Fix any known leaks

   Do you have a leaky tap, shower head, or running toilet? That’s just water and money straight down the drain! Fixing any known leaks will save you big time on your next bill and chances are all you need is a simple fix (like replacing the tap washer).

5. Insulate your pipes

   You can insulate your pipes to make sure they don’t get so cold during the night or through Winter meaning they won’t take as long for the water to heat up. Insulation can see water wastage decrease and energy (from heating water) decrease. You can read more about insulation hot water pipes from your hot water heater here. 

6. Repurpose the water you use

   Time to think consciously about the water you throw away. Do you use a lot of water in cooking? Do you look at all that wasted water from baths? You can save water and repurpose it! this and use it in your garden! Water re-purposing tips include:

   • Use cooking water (pasta/vegies) in the garden.
   • Install a small rainwater tank to catch any excess rainwater from your gutters (you can use this for pretty much any water need in your home).
   • Install a greywater collection system so water is not wasted and can be redirected into your garden.
   • Use bath water in the garden too!

7. Turn the washing machine to “cold”

   By washing your clothes in cold water (and making sure the load is full before turning it on) you will save energy and hot water. Clothes will be just as clean and cold water helps to preserve their colour so you’re not doing any harm with a cold water wash.

You can see by making a few small adjustments around the home, there are many ways you can save on your next water and energy bills! Not only will you save yourself some dollars you’ll also do your best to conserve water.

At Proximity Plumbing, we’re all about saving water so for an expert set of eyes to assess your current system or to book in for a plumbing maintenance appointment and have our team of expert eastern suburbs plumbers get their hands on your pipes – call us today on 0420 102 394 for a free quote. Plus, we guarantee to be on-site within the eastern suburbs in 30 minutes.